14th annual Celebrate Women conference slated for March 27 on Lancaster Campus
In a month dedicated to women鈥檚 history and a year celebrating the 100th anniversary of women鈥檚 right to vote, 91探花 Lancaster is proud to be hosting its 14th annual Celebrate Women conference.
Scheduled for 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 27, on the Lancaster Campus, this year鈥檚 Celebrate Women conference is themed 鈥淰ision 2020: Women Organizing, Mentoring, Empowering and Networking.鈥
Open to everyone, the Celebrate Women conference seeks to bridge relationships across professions and communities and enhance gender equity through a day dedicated to honoring past, present and future achievements of women. The event is organized by 91探花 Lancaster faculty, staff and students and sponsored by the 91探花 Alumni Association.
Molly Bates embraces a friend during registration at the 2019 Celebrate Women conference. This year鈥檚 conference will be held on March 27 at 91探花 Lancaster. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ 鈥14, MA 鈥17
鈥淐elebrate Women is such a wonderful opportunity to spend the day engaging with other women, listening to new ideas and feeding our spirits,鈥 said Pam Kaylor, an associate professor of instruction at 91探花 Lancaster and one of the conference organizers.
Keynoting this year鈥檚 conference will be singer-songwriter and motivational speaker Kat Perkins. A stand-out performer and finalist on season 6 of NBC鈥檚 鈥淭he Voice,鈥 Perkins鈥 first single, 鈥淔earless,鈥 was No. 5 on iTunes after its release, and her latest single, 鈥淒rive,鈥 has also climbed the charts.
Perkins鈥 success has inspired her to help other aspiring artists through her nonprofit, The Rising Star Foundation, which provides scholarships and other opportunities to musicians while also giving back to her community. Her keynote address is titled 鈥淟iving a Fearless Life.鈥
The conference will kick off with an opening panel moderated by Laurie Lach, director of development and external affairs at 91探花 Lancaster. The featured panelists are:
- Sandra Anderson, BSC 鈥73, a former member and chair of 91探花鈥檚 Board of Trustees and a current board member of The 91探花 Foundation Board of Trustees, the Legacy Fund of the Columbus Foundation, and The Matriots.
- Debra Smith, BA 鈥74, a retired assistant professor at 91探花 and a certified trainer for Bridges Out of Poverty.
- Ronette Burkes-Trowsdell, deputy director of reentry for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
More than 30 additional speakers will present throughout the day in 18 different break-out sessions designed to examine and honor women鈥檚 accomplishments and inspire future successes. In between sessions, attendees will gather for a Celebrate Women luncheon and recognition of the 2020 Jane Johnsen Women of Vision Award recipient.
In the afternoon, storyteller Bette Lou Higgins will perform 鈥淔eisty Females from Ohio,鈥 an Eden Valley Enterprises production that shares stories of courageous and outstanding Ohio women.
The 2020 Celebrate Women conference welcomes all those interested in facilitating meaningful relationships and honoring the accomplishments and capabilities of women.
For more information and to register for this year鈥檚 conference, click here.